Tonghua
People's Republic of China · Asia
About Tonghua
Tonghua is a prefecture-level city in the south of Jilin province, People's Republic of China. It borders North Korea's Chagang Province to the south and southeast, Baishan to the east, Jilin City to the north, Liaoyuan to the northwest, and Liaoning province to the west and southwest. Its population was 1,812,114 registered residents at the 2020 census living in an area of 15,195 square kilometres (5,867 sq mi). Its built-up (or metro) area made of the two urban districts was home to 446,917 inhabitants. It is known as one of the five medicine production centres in China.
Human settlement in the Tonghua area dates from about 6,000 years ago. In the Western Han Dynasty, Tonghua belonged to the Liaodong Fourth Commandery (遼東四郡).
Tonghua was the birthplace of Goguryeo culture and shaman culture. The Goguryeo kingdom established its capital at Gungnae in 425 A.D., which, together with the Tombs of the Ancient Gogoryeo Kingdom, represents the only successful, independent submission to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Under the Japanese occupation of Manchuria after 1932, a railway was constructed linking Tonghua with the main Manchurian...
Tonghua travel guide
Getting there
By plane 1 Tonghua Sanyuanpu Airport (通化三源浦机场), ☏ +86 435 1234567, toll-free: +86 435 1234567. This is a regional airport that hosts direct flights from cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao. (updated Dec 2025)
By train 2 Tonghua Railway Station (通化站) (3 km east of the center of town), ☏ +86 435 12306, toll-free: +86 435 12306. Tonghua Station is a first-class station, located at the intersection of the Shenyang-Jilin Railway and the Meizhou-Jilin Railway. The station has 5 platforms, 12 arrival and departure tracks. Multiple daily trains connect to Changchun, Shenyang, Beijing, Dalian, and other destinations, allowing transfers to Ji'an. (updated Dec 2025) Baihe - 6-8 hours; ¥21-47 Beijing - 17 hours; ¥132-399 Dandong - 5 hours Changchun - 7 hours; ¥32-106 Shenyang - 6-8 hours; ¥30-187
By bus The long-distance bus station is about 500 meters west of the train station.
Changchun takes 4 hours (but recommended not to take it when the roads are icy) Ji'an takes about 2 hours; ticket is ¥27 (as of 2014), and the last bus leaves around 16:30. Siping Jilin City Shenyang Baihe
See
Tonghua is a small city that has been fully modernized in Chinese style with tall buildings and a few simple shopping malls. The riverfront has been attractively re-done. Although the downtown is pleasant, there are few tourist attractions. Most visitors will be using Tonghua as a jumping-off point for the Koguryo sites in Ji'an or for onward travel to Changbaishan.
Do
There is not much for tourists to do in Tonghua, but one could shop or take walks along the riverfront. The town is also ringed by attractive hills, and it may be possible to take walks in the surrounding countryside.
Eat
Shun Feng Hot Pot Restaurant, ☏ +86 435 3243808.
Sleep
Dongshan Guest House, 1 Jingyu Rd, ☏ +86 435 3618105, fax: +86 435 3614197. Wantong Hotel (Directly across from train station). Located directly across from the train station, it is not close to the downtown, but very convenient for those transiting through Tonghua by bus or train. The hotel is very ordinary but clean and well-maintained. ¥200.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.